Missile separation system



Dec. 8, 1964 w. A. SCHULZE ETAL 3,160,098

MISSILE SEPARATION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.1

William A. Schulze Gustav A. Kroll,

Dec. 8, 1964 W. A. SCHULZE ETAL MISSILE SEPARATION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 5,1962 H I! .l.

g I I e g j I \I; ll '1 l a g l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 2

William A. Schulze United States Patent Oliice 3,160,098 Patented Dec.8, 1964 3,160,098 MISSILE SEPARATION SYSTEM William A. Schulze andGustav A. Kroll, Huntsville, Ala, assignors to the United States ofAmerica as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Nov. 5, 1962,Ser. No. 235,584 3 Claims. (Cl. 102-49) (Granted under Title 35, US.Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a missile separation system and moreparticularly to a separation system which utilizes simplified fluidactuated expulsion units to provide for the separation of the sectionsof a multi-section missile.

Previous separation systems were relatively complex in construction inthat detonation of explosive charges contained in the expulsion unitsinitiated the separation sequence. Also a high pressure fluid supply wascarried by the missile as part of the separation system for the solepurpose of supplying a driving force to the expulsion units.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a missileseparation system utilizing expulsion units that do not containexplosive charges.

Another object is to provide an extremely simplified missile separationsystem thereby eliminating complicated components and increasingreliability.

Still another object is to provide a missile separation system in whichthe expulsion units are integrated into an existing fluid system of themissile.

A still further object is to eliminate the need of a separate fluidsystem for actuating a missile separation system.

The foregoing and other objects will become more apparent udonconsideration of the following detailed description and accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic drawing partially broken away showing themissile separation system integrated into a missile;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional View of the separation system beforemissile separation; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the missile separationsystem after missile separation.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the separation system 1 toinclude a first missile section 3, a second missile section 5, explosivebolts 7, fluid actuated expulsion units 9, fluid feed lines 11 and afluid operated missile attitude control system enclosed by dotted line14.

The expulsion unit (FIGURE 2) includes a cylinder 13, a cup-like base15, and an elongate hollow piston 17. The cylinder is rigidly attachedto the interior 19 of missile section 3 by brackets 16, and has a neckedopen end 18, the other end 20 of the cylinder is adapted for engagementwith base 15.

The cup-like base 15 has a circular bottom portion 22 and an upstandingwall 24 which threadably engages one end of cylinder 13. The bottomportion 22 of base 15 has a central opening 26 therethrough adapted formating contact with fluid feed line 11 thereby allowing fluid from thefeed line to enter cylinder 13.

A gasket 30 is disposed between base 15 and cylinder 13 and is seated inan internal groove 32 in the wall 24.

A second gasket 34 is seated in an external groove 36 in the pistonadjacent its end 38 and slideably engages the cylinder to provide afluid tight seal between the piston and cylinder.

End 38 of piston 17 is open and is provided with a flanged portion 39which engages necked end 18 of cylinder 13 to prevent the pistonsseparation from the cylinder. The other end 40 of piston 17 is generallyconical in shape and abuts against the base 43 of second missile section5.

Bolts 7 retain the two sections 3 and 5 in engagement with each otheragainst the bias applied by the fluid pressure within cylinder 13against piston 17 tending to separate the sections 3 and 5.

In actual missile systems, several expulsion units are aflixed to theperiphery of the first section (FIGURE 1). These units areinterconnected by feeder lines 11 which in turn are connected to mainfeed line 46. Line 46 is shown as being coupled to a pressurized fluidsupply source 49 of a missile attitude controlling fluid system enclosedby dotted line 14. The main function of the attitude oontrolling systemis to supply fluid under Pressure from source 49, through lines 50, tothe missile attitude controlling fins 52.

In operation, the explosive bolts are ignited by conventional means (notshown) to fracture the bolts. The piston, being under fluid pressurebias, is thrust outward pushing second section 5 away from first section3 of the missile (FIGURE 3). At the outermost projection of the piston,the flanged portion 39 of end 38 engages the necked open end 18 ofcylinder 13 to prevent the ejection of the piston from the cylinder.

It is readily seen that the expulsion unit may be either pneumaticallyor hydraulically operated depending upon existing conditions. The unitscould, for example, be activated by the system supplying air to themissiles air hearing by a bleed off from the missiles engines ratherthan by hydraulic pressure as described.

It will be appreciated that this invention provides a vastly simplifiedseparation system which is an integral part of the missile and whicheliminates the necessity of a separate fluid system to actuate theseparation system.

It is to be understood that various modifications of the inventiondescribed herein can be made without changing the spirit and scope ofthe invention as claimed.

The invention claimed is:

l. A separation system for a missile having first and second sectionsconnected by explosive bolts, said missile also having a source of fluidpressure for an attitude control system, said separation systemcomprising: fluid actuated means including a plurality of expulsionunits disposed in spaced relationship on the periphery of one of saidsections for biased relationship of said sections; and means couplingsaid fluid actuated means to the pressure source for said attitudecontrol system for continuous biased relationship of the sections.

2. An invention as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said expulsionunits comprises: a cylinder; a base for said cylinder having a centralopening therethrough; an elongate hollow piston slideably mounted withinsaid cylinder and disposed for movement through an end thereof remotefrom said base; a first seal means mounted on said piston slideablyengages said cylinder; and a second seal means seals between saidcylinder and base.

3. A missile separation system for use in a missile having first andsecond sections connected by explosive bolts, said first section havinga source of fluid pressure for actuation of a missile attitude controlsystem, said separation system comprising: a plurality of fluid actuatedexpulsion units aflixed to said first section at spaced points about theinner periphery thereof adjacent said second section; conduit meanscoupling said expulsion units to said source of fluid pressure, saidexpulsion units mounted in biased relation with said first and secondsections and disposed for exerting a force thercbetween for separationof said sections responsive to actuation of said explosive bolts.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,809,584 10/57Smith 102-49 2,945,442 7/60 Adelman et al 10249 3,004,734 10/61 Radford.

FOREIGN PATENTS 116,430 5/46 Sweden.

SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

1. A SEPARATION SYSTEM FOR A MISSILE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONSCONNECTED BY EXPLOSIVE BOLTS, SAID MISSILE ALSO HAVING A SOURCE OF FLUIDPRESSURE FOR AN ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM, SAID SEPARATION SYSTEMCOMPRISING: FLUID ACTUATED MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF EXPULSIONUNITS DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP ON THE PERIPHERY OF ONE OF SAIDSECTIONS FOR BIASED RELATIONSHIP OF SAID SECTIONS; AND MEANS COUPLINGSAID FLUID ACTUATED MEANS TO THE PRESSURE SOURCE FOR SAID ATTITUDECONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS BIASED RELATIONSHIP OF THE SECTIONS.